Health officials in Hartford County, MD have determined that a food poisoning outbreak in mid-March was caused by norovirus. The county health department received dozens of reports of illness with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and nausea.
Some of those who became ill after eating at a restaurant submitted stool samples for lab testing. Results from those tests did not reveal a bacterial source for the infection such as Salmonella, E.coli or Campylobacter, a health department spokesman said.
Highly contagious norovirus accounts for about half of all food poisoning outbreaks. Often a sick food handler or is involved, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People who have been sick with norovirus can transmit the virus for up to three days after symptoms have resolved and should remain at home during this period of time.
Careful hand washing is the best way to reduce exposure to the virus. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be uses in addition to hand-washing, but should not be considered a replacement for it.
